Authentic Sweden

Corporate

Electricity:Normal electric current in Sweden is 220 volts AC in 50 cycles (same plugs as in France)

Time:Sweden is UTC/GMT +1 hour and changes time during the summer. There is no time difference with France, Belgium, Switzerland but +1hour with England.In general, shops are open Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 and on Saturday until 15:00. Many museums are closed on Mondays.

Money: The national currency is the krona (SEK).

Currency exchange is done in Forex currency exchange offices or banks. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club cards are widely accepted. Electronic debit cards can be used in most shops and most banks are equipped with ATMs machine.

Opening hours for banks:Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. All banks are closed on weekends and on public holidays.1 EUR = 9,05 SEK and 1 SEK = 0.11 EUR (Currency Rates on 1/05/2014)

Cost of living - ideas:Meals- 80 to 200 Sek/pers for lunch (without beverages) depending on location chosen.- 150-500 Sek /pers for dinner (without beverages) depending on location chosen.Drinks and other personal expenses.- 1 soft drink or juice varies between 25 and 35 Sek- 1 coffee on average 25 to 35 Sek- A strong beer (starköl) varies between 40 and 60 Sek depending on where you take it.- 1 glass of wine (white or red) 55 to 90 Sek depending on where you take it.- 1 bottle of wine (white or red) from 180 to 350 Sek for house wine depending on the restaurant.- 1 bottle of wine bought at Systembolaget (Prices from 50 Sek for a table wine).

Passport and visa:Sweden is part of the Schengen Agreement.That means that citizens of EU countries and Switzerland can enter Sweden with a passport or a national identification card (passports are recommended) and stay up to three months.Non-EU passport holders from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US can enter and stay in Sweden without a visa for up to three months.Citizens of South Africa and many other African, Asian and some Eastern European countries require tourist visas for entry. These are only available in advance from Swedish embassies (allow two months); there's a non-refundable application fee of Skr315. Visas last up to three months, and extensions aren't easily obtainable.Visa is not usually required but non-EU citizens are advised to check with their Swedish Embassy.If you are travelling with your children, you should know that:Children and young people under the age of 16 must have their own child passport if they want to travel abroad (unless they are on a collective passport). An application for a passport for a child or young person under 16 must be signed by a parent or someone with parental responsibility. A passport for a child under 16 is valid for five years.